You’ll Want To Visit Gather, An Urban Vertical Farm Restaurant In Nebraska
By Delana Lefevers|Published July 25, 2022
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Delana Lefevers
Author
As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
When you think of “farm to table” in Nebraska, you may picture a quaint homestead or a rural restaurant, but this innovative eatery in Omaha is changing the way people think about farms. Some of the vegetables used in this kitchen come from an underground, hydroponic, vertical farm hiding beneath the streets of the city.
This lively destination in the Old Market opened in September 2021. At more than 11,000 square feet, the restaurant is no small player in the Omaha dining scene.
It's the first eatery of its kind in the state: a restaurant that grows its own ingredients using sustainable practices in an underground vertical garden. Ingredients that can't be grown on site are sourced with the goal of supporting local farms and ranches.
The vibe is elevated casual, as is the menu. It's the kind of place where you can feel equally comfortable whether you're on a first date or meeting up with a business associate.
Besides the beautiful indoor seating area, Gather offers two outdoor patios. A huge selection of beers, wines, cocktails, and liquors gives you the opportunity to find the perfect match for your meal.
You might expect a restaurant with its own vertical farm to serve nothing but salads. And don't get us wrong, the salads and other veggie dishes are on point...
...But they're certainly not the only drool-worthy items on the menu. Wagyu beef, bison, and elk all make appearances in the restaurant's offerings, as do several seafood dishes. The signature pork buns are a crowd favorite.
You won't see a lot of unfamiliar dishes on Gather's menu; the restaurant sticks with the basics and gives them a little nudge to the next level. Gather's version of fried chicken sits atop cheesy noodles and is served with house-made hot sauce - it's the perfect combination of upscale and down-home.
While the dining area and busy kitchen are giving patrons an unforgettable meal above, the 5,000-square-foot hydroponic farm quietly goes about its business underground.
Diners are invited to go down to the viewing room before or after their meal to look in on the garden.
While it would be impossible to grow all of the restaurant's fresh foods on-site, the urban farm does provide a variety of greens that go from farm to table in a matter of just minutes.
Kale, arugula, romaine, leafy greens, red-veined sorrel, and herbs all thrive in this carefully controlled environment.
By using sustainable farming practices that consume a fraction of the space and resources required of a traditional farm, the restaurant is giving diners the gift of truly fresh food.
If you've never had the pleasure of eating food straight from the garden, prepare yourself for a whole lot of flavor.
You can even buy some of the greens grown on the farm to take home with you. Buy them straight from the restaurant or find them at Wohlner’s Grocery at Midtown Crossing. Check out Gather in Omaha’s website to learn more about this fascinating restaurant, and follow it on Facebook for news and upcoming specials.
